Should they take antidepressants?

Should they take antidepressants? Sometimes it can be a difficult choice to make.

As caregiver of a depressed person you will likely have to help your depressed loved one decide if they should take antidepressants or not.

Hair loss. Fatigue. Increased thoughts of suicide. Tremors. Weight gain. These are some of the side effects you’ll read on pamphlets that come with antidepressants. It likely won’t make you feel confident about having your loved one taking them.

There are many proponents for antidepressants. And there are some who believe that depressed people can live with herbal supplements. Some depression sufferers succeed in overcoming the disorder without them. Then there are people who need to take antidepressants to live their life.

The truth is: Everyone is different. Every case of depression is different. So, finding what works takes a lot of discovery, a lot of trial and error. Eventually you and your depressed loved one will get close to finding out what works for them.

And that may mean going through months of them trying medications that don’t work and that make them feel worse. It’s sadly part of the process. Until there is a research breakthrough that improves treatment for depression, this is the reality about the tools we have to deal with it.

Antidepressants: Should they take them?

It’s a personal choice. But consider these facts:

Taking antidepressants is a personal choice. Though, sometimes a depressed person needs to make this choice even if they don’t want to. If a depressed loved one is not improving on natural remedies and by taking what is considered “healthy actions” (see articles on health minimums) then they should probably opt to try an antidepressant.

Here are some points to consider:

They may only need them temporarily.If you go on an antidepressant you can always choose to go off. Even later in life, if you feel well, are under a doctor’s care, once you get stable in other areas, you can try to go without them.

Do what the doctor prescribes. Antidepressants target a depressed person’s brain and go off them suddenly, even if they are not helpful, can make the situation worse.

They might be the only thing that help. You’ll know this if your depression fighter is taking all the healthy actions and their mood isn’t improving.

One in 10 Americans take antidepressants. This means, that a lot of people find them useful and effective. It’s a large number so on the flip side, it’s been suggested by experts in the medical community that we are treating and not curing the issue.

When you have a cold you take cold medicine. Depression is the same. The issues arise in the brain, the difference is no one can’t see depression.

Their brain could be missing a chemical it requires to function properly. So they are not putting something synthetic, they are giving their body what it requires and what is missing.

Antidepressant medications can be expensive. They’ll need to be factored into a health budget. Depending on the treatment plan and insurance options available. Your depression fighter will need to spend anywhere from $0 – $350 per month.